Too many men wait to seek healthcare services because of stigma, fear of diagnosis, and expectations that they should always appear strong. These barriers can lead to missed opportunities for early detection and treatment of HIV and other health conditions. Breaking the cycle requires more than encouraging men to visit a doctor. Health services must become more accessible, reach men in their communities, and create opportunities for open conversations about prevention and care.
An episode of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s “Global Public Health Revolution” podcast explored these challenges, featuring two-time NBA All-Star Norm Nixon and Trevor Imogel, a youth advocate with AHF Uganda Cares in Africa. Despite their different generations and experiences, both emphasized how traditional expectations of masculinity can discourage men from taking their health seriously.
Nixon recalled how fear and stigma discouraged men from getting tested during the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He also described an outreach initiative in Los Angeles that brought nurses into barbershops to screen men for high blood pressure and diabetes. According to Nixon, the effort reached more than 20,000 men, including some who had never received a routine physical examination.
In Uganda (picture above), Imogel described similar efforts to bring health services closer to men through workplace outreach, football events, and sports programming. These activities create opportunities to discuss HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and encourage men to seek testing and care in familiar settings.
Both guests also emphasized the value of conversations between men of different generations. Older men can share their experiences and encourage younger men to see preventive care as a responsibility, not a sign of weakness. For men living with HIV, overcoming stigma and maintaining treatment are particularly important to staying healthy.
Healthcare providers can also play a role by offering welcoming, nonjudgmental services that make men comfortable seeking help and returning for follow-up care.
Improving men’s health requires changing both attitudes and how services are delivered. By bringing prevention, testing, and care into everyday community spaces, health systems can reach more men before manageable health problems become serious threats to their lives.
(Watch the “Global Public Health Revolution” podcast.)
Brian Shepherd is the Associate Director of Global Policy and Communications at AHF.
